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Topic: PG-13 Problem?

I always wondered why those PG-13 movies that managed to bring LOTS n' LOTS of terror and scares getsuch bad reviews.... I don't understand. I mean Jurassic Park and it's sequels got some high cult status there but well made stuffs like WASC remake didn't get good reviews at all. Considering this is the 21st century I found the "now should be rated PG-13: Poltergeist" was very lame. What dp you guys think about this problem?

Re: PG-13 Problem?

What problem? There is a group that rates the films. There are reviewers that give the films reviews. You learn which reviewers to trust, and ignore the ratings all together since in 6 months there will be an Unrated Director's Cut.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

Yep...there are rated R movies that get horrible reviews too...it's like saying ''how come all these Blue cars are always breaking down?'' It's not a causal issue. Some people may generally avoid a PG-13 horror movie because they like their blood,gore,boobies and curse words. But if a great movie came along and happened to be rated PG-13...it would still be a great movie.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

^^For example- The Monster Squad.

Another reason for releasing PG-13 films is that cinemas started cracking down on under-17 teens go to R rated movies. And since teens are a huge slice of movie profits, got to make 'em PG-13. But again, this is not a problem but rather a reflection of society.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

I love pg 13 horror. I have a niece that always wants to watch something scary and it makes it easier for me to find something we can watch together. I understand why it wouldn't be for everybody, but I say bring on some more pg 13 horror!

Re: PG-13 Problem?

I'm not entirely sure what PG-13 means, I take it it means that anyone under the age of 13 can't be permitted to buy a ticket or rent/buy a film without parental guidance.

In England we have a different classification system;U (universal) for anyone of any age. PG (parental guidance) self explanatory. 12A - Over twelves can get in, under twelves can with an adult.15 - Fifteen year olds and over. 18 - Eighteen year olds and over.

Anyway - do I have an inherent problem with family horror? No, of course not, many of my favourite genre films are rated between PG and 15 such as Gremlins, Monster Squad (mentioned above by Az), Tremors, the recent Joe Dante film 'The Hole', Drag Me to Hell, The Others, 1408 etc etc etc. I rarely pay attention to the age ratings on films. Joe Dante, for eg has this sneaky way of including gore into more family-friendly horrors and I fail to see the correlation between an age restriction and a scary film. I found 1408 and Drag Me to Hell truly frightening.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

US is pretty much the same in age-

G (General)- good for anyone, i.e. Disney filmsPG- same thing as UKPG-13- Need to be 13 or older, or with an adult to see/rentR- Need to be 17 or older, or with an adult to see/rentNC-17 (rarely seen)- Must be at least 17 to see/rentX/XXX- 18 or older only (generally just porn)

The problem in the US is the MPAA (the ratings board). They're wildly inconsistent, and pick some of the weirdest things to object to, much like the Video Nasties. That's why I mentioned waiting to get the Unrated version 6 months later. There was a good documentary on the MPAA called This Film is Not Yet Rated. (2006) (IMDB link)

Re: PG-13 Problem?

^Yeah, I've seen that doc Az, I realy didn't enjoy it at all. I was expecting it to have some kind of insight as to how the censors make the decisions but it was entirely based on how they cut sexually explicit scenes. It gave us nothing about how they wave their scissors re gore and grue. Also, I found it rather childish how the stupid documentary makers went around following the MPAA board like some kind of bizarre witch hunt. It was sloppily researched and very amateurish.

Just be glad you've got the rather liberal and tolerant MPAA instead of the old fossils that still preside and regularly censor our films in the BBFC. It's weird cos us Eurotrash get away with far more in the way of nudity and graphic sexualism but you Yanks have shows like The Walking Dead where there's bloody decapitations and amputated limbs flying all over the screen!

I love these subtle differences haha!

You guys get to see far more spashy gore on regular television than anything over here but we get to show bewbz!

I wish you lot could take our relaxed attitude towards nudity and we could use your gore.

Perhaps we could build a platform halfway across the pond and make the most sexually explicit torture porn films ever!

Re: PG-13 Problem?

To me it just depends of what type of horror film it is. For example, a slasher doesn't need to be PG-13. (Prom Night remake was a disaster) But I don't have a problem with horror films that rely on atmosphere instead of gore being rated PG-13; for example Insidious or The Ring. Both were excellent films IMO.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

^ that about sums it up for me as well. I agree with the examples used and all. A slasher should not be pg-13 (these days). A movie that relies on atmosphere I have no problem with being pg13 and sometimes like with the descent we get atmosphere and gore. So yah, what Sus said, as usual for me lol

Re: PG-13 Problem?

@Scav- noticed that, too, eh? I like the irony of this post, since he's 14 and in the US he'd be limited to only PG-13 horror.

Of course, I'm not one to talk, I've created a few (ha!) threads in my time.

Thanks, me and my niece were both zombies/or just bloody messes for Halloween lolWhen I was a kid I watched a lot of pg/pg 13 horror. If it was R my parents would always have to watch it first and then decide. The Willies was probably my favorite pg 13 horror from when I was a kid. I remembering being so excited when Return of the living dead came on tv bc I was finally allowed to watch it!

Re: PG-13 Problem?

Yeah well when there's horror movies at theater, almost everyone is busy and like noneof them likes to watch them even though theyre PG-13.I've actually never watched an R-Rated at ta theater I remember

Re: PG-13 Problem?

Huh, I didn't realize Drag Me to Hell was PG-13. Funky.

@Riverash- same deal here with the R rated films. I got to see all the James Bond movies, though; I guess they figured I could handle seeing some boobies, . One time me and a friend tried to rent I Spit on Your Grave back when it was still rated X. The clerk made me go get my dad out of the car to OK it. Kind of awkward trying to explain to my dad in front of 10 cutomers, "No, it is not a porn movie." He let me get it, though.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

I don't really know what to add, but for me there is always a bit of a stigma attached to PG-13 horrors - I immediately think that they'll be too "toned down" for my taste in horror. An example being The Woman in Black - I just avoided it due to stupid pre-judgement.

But I've been surprised by movies regardless of the rating, so what do I know. Oh and you guys mentioned Drag Me to Hell... I had no idea that wasn't R rated.

Off-topic but where did your cool avatar based on The Thing go Lost Boy? Well the new one is cool too.

Re: PG-13 Problem?

While there are a handful of PG and/or PG-13 horror flicks I am a fan of (Legend of Hell House, The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane and a couple others), for the most part I don't see the point in PG-13 horror. It's like a porno with all the sex cut out. I'm an adult. I want my horror R-rated.